Potential

This is a word/concept I have heard a lot since your accident and I heard again today-that you had so much potential and now it's gone because you're gone. I don't usually do this kind of thing, but I looked up the definition of "potential", which can be used as an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, the definition is "having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future." As a noun, the definition is "latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness."
   Now by these definitions, I totally understand what people mean by their sentiments. Obviously to them, if you aren't alive on this earth, (to paraphrase the above definitions), you can't become or develop into something in the future, or use your qualities or abilities to lead to future success or usefulness. Do you already see where I am going with this? As with all things, God has a different view of a particular person's "potential" in how He uses our lives for His glory.
   How many people in their whole life physically save five lives? That's what your organ donation did. It may not have made a difference in the future you lost from your accident, but it created potential in five other futures with a second chance at life. This donation definitely could lead to future success or usefulness in their lives and exceeds the uncertainty of the word potential, in that it definitely did these things!
   Another aspect of this word can be seen in what impact you already had on all 800 people who attended your funeral and probably hundreds more we will never know about until we are all in Heaven together. You touched and inspired so many by how you lived your life and how you treated people. I am so proud of you for that!
   Last, but definitely not least, I know that God used you to save many, many people. People knew you were a believer by how you lived your life, but hundreds heard the Gospel at your funeral at a time when they were contemplating life and death issues and realizing how nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. 80 of your friends came to the special youth group meeting the Sunday after your accident! Unfortunately, it's hard to even get one friend to come to something like that as a visitor on a regular night. The Gospel was clearly preached there as well. I know, on a personal level, that I can and already have used your story as a testimony to God so many times and will continue to do so the rest of my life. God is the Only One getting me through this and knowing that you are safe with Him and that I will see you again, and that day can't come soon enough for me!
   What I am trying to say in all of this, is that I believe that you definitely met and have exceeded your potential on this earth. It was not lost-it was just re-directed and used for others instead of yourself. Knowing you, I think you would be ok with that.